More creativity... cards and playing with the gelli plate

 I have been continuing with card making (just as well because I have amassed a large stash in a relatively short space of time) and have made a few more cards including thank you, get well and hello.  I like to decorate the envelopes too.

 This was made using a two layer stamp which gives a lovely result.

In my other news, I have discovered the joys of a Gelli plate.  This is a polymer based gel printing plate which can be used to make monoprints.  They have been about in the crafting world for many years, particularly in America, but, as usual, I am a bit behind the trends.  I watched lots of videos on the internet and decided that I needed to get myself a plate and have a go.  I have always enjoyed creating prints, whether these were monoprints, screen prints or lino prints, so I knew I would enjoy this.  Acrylic paints work really well with the gelli plate and distress inks can also be used, so it can cross into the papercrafting and card making too (hoorah!).

 Here are my first attempts, using marks, bubble wrap, stencils and stamps, in my favourite cool blues.

 I like the way the gel plate gives you a positive print and then what is called a 'ghost print', which is a negative sort of image.

More mark making and bubble wrap.

 Bright and bold colours blended on the plate and then stencils, bubble wrap and marks again.

 This is the ghost print.

I really liked the smudginess of this print which was actually a 'cleaning up the roller' waste piece which I put the stencils onto to remove most of the paint and then used a baby wipe to clean them - the baby wipe caused the slightly smudgy look to the stencil.  This is one of my favourite prints and wasn't even a 'proper' print. So often the way!
I have been watching more 'how to' videos and have been taken with some layered prints using more sophisticated colour mixes than I have used so far. 
I really like the process, it is fast, some great effects can be created and it is easy to clean up, so I shall be enjoying lots more playing and creating over the next few days/weeks/months.

Cards and flowers

 I have been experimenting and making again.  I recently bought a very versatile stamp set - the poppy in the photo above, which has two layers and which creates a lovely hand painted look.  I think this is one I will use a lot.  As you can see, its first incarnation was as a thank you card.  I was really pleased with the results.

 My friend had a birthday, so out came a card making kit and this card was duly created.  I hope she liked it.

 I have also been playing with my Brusho paints again, trying to create loose watercolour flowers.  I watched a video on you tube and thought I could manage it, but as with so many things, it didn't quite work as I had hoped.  I stamped the flower centres and then pulled the paint and water out to create the petals.  This is what I was aiming for:

(image from Sandy Allnock's blog )

 Hmm, I'm not quite there yet!  Practise, practise, practise!  The nice thing is a that practising something like this is a rather enjoyable occupation in itself.  I may try different brushes to see if that might help.

I embossed the stamens on some of the flowers and liked the raised texture it gave.  I shall have another go and see what happens.

Playing with watercolours, stamps and inks

 I follow a few stamping and card making blogs - not because I make cards, because I don't, but for the inspiration.  I had noticed a few mentions of a particular make of watercolours called Kuretake Gansai Tambi which people seemed to be raving about.  I am not a 'proper watercolourist' but I do like painting, so I thought I would do some research, which I did.  People said that these watercolours are creamy and can be used like a watercolour or a gouache, you don't need much as they are highly pigmented and they are beautiful to use.  Of course, I had to buy some to try them for myself, didn't I?  They come in a box as above...

 ...and are things of beauty!  This set even included silver and gold.  It was suggested that you should make a  colour chart on the lid, as although the colours are numbered, they aren't named in English.

 A little more research and I found a colour chart on a blog, which I really enjoyed creating on the lid.

 I also loved a range of layered floral stamps made in America by Altenew.  They had been sold out on a UK website, Seven Hills Crafts for ages, but I got hold of them in the end.  I have been really enjoying experimenting.

 Here are some examples of the layered effect the stamps give.

 They look like hand printed wallpaper.

 I haven't been quite so successful with the rose stamp...yet.

The peony stamp works beautifully.  Here I have embossed the outline using coloured ink and clear embossing powder and then used some of my other watercolours to fill in. 

 A simplified version using coloured ink pads and black details. Chris really likes the green one in the top right corner.

This one is my absolute favourite so far.  I used the tiniest amount of my lovely new paints in pastel colours and then overprinted an outline with a black ink pad.
The paints are wonderful to use and in my experience, they deserve the rave reviews they have been getting.   I am loving all the playing I am able to do and the different techniques these layered stamps can inspire.  Here's to lots more playing!
( I have bought all these products with my own hard-earned cash. No sponsoring going on here!)